Thread by @Reuters

Russian President Vladimir Putin told his security council it was necessary to consider an appeal from the leaders of two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine for Russia to recognize them as independent reut.rs/3p05op1

Russian President Vladimir Putin told the leaders of France and Germany that he planned to sign a decree recognizing the two breakaway regions of Ukraine as independent entities shortly, the Kremlin said reut.rs/35eaO90

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree to recognize two breakaway regions of eastern Ukraine as independent entities in a signing ceremony shown on state television, upping the ante in a crisis the West fears could unleash a major war reut.rs/3p45dtc

The following extracts are from a televised speech by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Ukraine, when he signed a decree recognizing breakaway Ukraine regions as independent reut.rs/3sZsP34

Russian President Vladimir Putin's recognition of breakaway regions of eastern Ukraine is a breach of international law, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said reut.rs/3M0rjqi

The rouble tanked, slipping past 80 against the dollar, while stocks plunged to their lowest in over a year as Russian President Vladimir Putin called for the immediate recognition of two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine reut.rs/3H6ZHw2

Here's a look at the implications of what Russia's independence recognition of breakaway Ukraine regions mean for the wider crisis reut.rs/3s4OMP5

Here is a timeline of the main events in Ukraine's political history since it won independence from Moscow in 1991 reut.rs/35hjpba

President Biden will issue an executive order soon that will prohibit 'new investment, trade, and financing by U.S. persons to, from, or in' the two eastern Ukraine breakaway regions that Russia's Putin recognized as independent, the White House said reut.rs/3p3GBR4

President Vladimir Putin ordered his defense ministry to despatch Russian peacekeepers to eastern Ukraine's two breakaway regions, according to a decree published early on Tuesday after he said Moscow would recognize their independence reut.rs/3p44ZCj

he European Union must impose sanctions on Russia immediately after it recognized two Ukrainian breakaway regions as independent, the governments of the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania said after Russia's announcement reut.rs/3p6Eegp

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres believes Russia has violated the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine by recognizing two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent entities on Monday, a U.N. spokesman said reut.rs/3Hd1E9X

Russia has acquired the right to build military bases in Ukraine's two breakaway regions under new agreements with their separatist leaders, according to a copy of an agreement signed by President Vladimir Putin reut.rs/3v6UFNq

President Biden signed an executive order to prohibit trade and investment between U.S. individuals and the two breakaway regions of eastern Ukraine recognized as independent by Russia reut.rs/3p4pD5b

Biden's agreement in principle to meet Putin may be off after Russia declared two breakaway regions of Ukraine as independent, and the U.S. will announce further measures, likely sanctions-related, on Tuesday, a senior administration official said reut.rs/3h6lNE4

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy accused Russia of wrecking peace talks and ruled out making any territorial concessions in an address to the nation in the early hours of Tuesday reut.rs/3BCB2Oy

A @Reuters witness saw columns of military vehicles including tanks early Tuesday on the outskirts of Donetsk, the capital of one of the breakaway east Ukraine regions, after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the regions as independent state reut.rs/3v7sZs2